Eyelash curler



Sept# 10, 1940- H. BERNSTEIN 2,214,318

EYELASH CURLER Filed Jan. 12, 1940 lNvENToR Hannan Bernstem ATTO NEY Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,214,318 EYELASH ofURLEn Herman Bernstein, Brooklyn, N. Application January 12, 1340, Serial No. 313,516 ze ciaims. (o1. 13a-32) i mechanism is subject to considerable wear and frequently does not permit the user to exert sufficient pressure on the jaws to perform the curling operation effectively. Furthermore, the.

rubber member used in one of the jaws changes in time in shape and length and otherwise deteriorates and needs to be replaced, but the operation of replacement is frequently beyond the skill of the user.

My invention therefore contemplates among other things, the provision of a simple and efficient curler adapted to be leconomically producedy from sheet metal and to be locked into compact form when not in use, while designed to be readily unlocked when it is to be used, and when s o unlocked, being fully under the control of the user to exert heavy or light pressure over a wide range on the eyelash. My invention further contemplates the provision of arcuate cooperating members each 'integrally'formed at the free end of a spring arm and movable away from each other in a substantially straight line path under the spring action of the arms without the necessity for linkage, pivots, guides or other mechanism, said members being movable toward each other in a substantially straight line path by force exerted directly thereupon by a hand lever whereby not only. is the curling pressure accurately controlled but connecting linkage and other operating meanssubjected to substantial wear, are eliml,'Myfinvention further contemplates the provisionof simple means for so supporting the rubber member' that it may quickly and easily berremoved and replaced by unskilled persons and without the necessity for the use of channels or equivalent devices which have the tendency to'bend the hairs abruptly and frequently cause to the sides of the member and higher at .the

front than at the back thereof whereby the curling action is A quickly initiated by said surface and the curling operation more quickly and easily completed.

, The various objects of the invention will be clear kfrom the description which follows and from the drawing, in which, f

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my improved curler as it appears in its locked or inoperative position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

' Fig. 3 is a rear or end elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same as it appears unlocked and the lever arranged in position for operation of the curling members.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section ofa modified form ofthe yieldable member. l

lIn the practical embodiment of my invention which I have shown by way of example, a pair of sheet metal spring arms I and II each preferably though not necessarily of a single piece of material are provided, the, arm I0 carrying the rigid curling member I2 at its fron-t end, and the arm II carrying the support I3 for the resilient and yieldable cooperating curling member I4. Said arms are provided with diverging portions, spaced apart at their rear end parts sufliciently to maintain the' adjacent edges of the members l2 and I4 in substantial spaced relation and thereby to permit the easy insertion lof the eyelash between said members when the curler is unlocked ready for operation.

The front end portion I of the arm I0 is bent at an obtuse angle Vto theremainder of said arm and is suitably and permanently secured (as by means of the rivets or the like I'I) to the adjacent similarly bent'portion I6 of the arm II in thereofris the pin 2| formed with an enlarged head' 22, a short cylindrical part 23 fitted into the perforation' and an elongated shank terminating'in the flattened loop 24 passing through the preferably circular opening 25 of the arm I0. Saidloop 24 is cut away as at 26 to permit the crossk bar 21 of the operating lever 28 to be inserted into `the loop and to be normally held in lengagement with the upper end part 2S thereof under the spring action of the armslll'and II, which tend to spread apart or open up'and thereby lconstitute flat springs. Said cross bar 2Iis arranged between and separates the slots 30 .and 3|. the rear -edge of the lever 28, being arranged midway between the side edges of said lever, while the slot 3I is similarly arranged between saidside 1 edges but forwardly of the cross bar. One side arm of the loop 24 therefore liesin the slot 3Iland the other in the slot 3| The slot 30 extends forwardly from y of the cross bar uponthe pinZHI.

An upwardly projecting cam or humpr32 is integrally formed in the arm III just forwardly of the opening 25 and is arranged to engage the convex rear end portion of the lever 28 when said lever has first been rotated into vthe yposition of Fig. 4 and is then swung in the'direc'tion ofthe arrow of said figure about the cross bar 21 as a pivot. ing the thumb of the hand in the loop, Vresting one or more ngers on the lever, and pressingl the thumb and fingers together' .against .the spring action of the arms I) andI I. The cross bar 21 is thereby raised, the loopl 24 drawn upwardly through the opening 25 and the 'arms I0 and II as well as the members I2 and I4 carried thereby forced toward vjeaeh other to perform the curling` operation.

It fwill be understood that while I have hereinbefore referred to 'the arms Ill andII as spring arms, one of said arms may `if `desired be made comparatively rigid and'unyielding as compared to the other. In other words, it" is not necessary that lboth arms become distorted when the mem.- bers I2 and i3 are vmovedtoward each other, it being suiicient if one of 'thearms is capable of spring action andconsequentmovement'relatively to the other. In vsuch case, one of the arms is made of comparativelyA thin spring Inaterial and the other made of comparatively thick and `rigid material, it being substantiallyimmaterial which arm is 4 the spring arm. v

Normally, the parts are in thepositions'shown in Figs. 1, 2, andy 3 in `which the lever 28 has been rotated into an upside down position rela- 5 tively to that shown in Fig. 4, andthebent front end 3K3 thereof has been vinsertedfinto and locked in the slotv I9 of vthe] arm I0.; In this position,` the members I2 andlll are closed together, the rear end edge 34 of the lever-28 being sufficiently below the 'top 2S of the loop 24fto have forced the arms It and I t together by fthe pressureof said end 34 upon thatpartbfthearm III to the right ofthe crossbar 21er `by the upward pullA To move the lever from the position of'Fig. 4 to that of Figs. l, 2 'and' 3,1the end 33 of the lever is rotated in a horizontal.plane as 'viewed in Fig. 4 until it is arranged fon "the right hand side of the loop (24 as shown by`the dash-dot lines of Fig. 4, the cross' bar 21 during 'such swinging movement causing the loop 24 'and 4the pin `2I to'rotate about th'exaxis of'theipin through an angle of 180,". The end 331 isthen swun'gin a vertical .plane to the left and vdownwardly'about the bar 2'I as al pivot into its'locke'd position, the

convex rear part of the'lever acting as aerank to exert upward force upon"- the lpin 2I and downward force on the arm III and thereby to movethe Vpin and the arm I I upwardly relatively to `the arm IB. Owing 'to thejtenden'cy ofv the arms I and II to move apart,upward'force is exerted upon the end i34 of the 'lever ftending to rotate it in a counter-clockwisev 'direction about the bar 21 and thereby holding the 'end 33 down in the slot I9.

The curler in this position` iszltncked'to occupy littleV space for carrying about as `in*a"han`d]oag or to lbe put away'until it is ready for use. To unlockthe parts for operation, the above described lmovements are reversed. That' is; the lever end 33 is raised out 'of the slot I`9`, then swung in a vertical plane to the 'dash-dot vline position thereof shown in 4, permitting fthe arms I'II 'andVI I to spread apart' under fthe spring action thereof and the pin 2l-5to ibe* lowered Preferably the lever is so swung by insert-"- relatively to the arm I0, whereafter the lever end 33 is swung in a horizontal plane to the fullline position of the leverv in Fig. 4 simultaneously rotating the pin 2l through an angle of 180,J withthe members FI 2 and jI4 ready for the reception of the eyelash, and the leverready -for the depression thereof to force the curling members together.

-The upper curling member I2 is preferably formed integrally with the arm I 0 being joined to the-.rearend'of said arm by the substantially.

right angle bend 35 and being of sufficient width,

greater than that of the arm I, to properly engage the entire eyelash of the user. Said member is ymade arcuate or curved for that purpose 1as is customary. Its lowerV edge 36 Vis rounded y'to obtain the desired vcurling 'action without danger of cutting or breaking the eyelash hairs. The edge 36 may be notched at its ends 'as "at 31 to make said edge of -the same lengthbetween notches as the length of ythe member I4, while the material 38 of the mem--` 'ber' I2 above the notch is preferably bent for wardly to better t the eye and to provide rounded end portions "on said member. p The lower or support member I3 is of substantially lesser height than that of 4the member I2, but is similarly made of corresponding arcuate or curved form `being joined to the arm I'I 'by thelbend 39. Each of the free fend por-- tions 400i the member I3 is bent forwardly and then `parallel to the main portion of said mem-` ber to form a bottomless groove asj4I at each end of fthe member for the reception of the respective ends lof theV vyieldable member I4. (Fig. 1); That part of the arm II just in 'front of the member I3 andthe bend '39 serves as the bottom "support forsaid member I4. If desired, additional'integral bottom supports may be provided by the "spaced lugs '42 `extending forwardly and integrallyfrom the lower edge ofthe member I3 and at substantially right angles thereto. An Vimportant feature of the` present invention is the removable and replaceable yieldable member I'4 which eliminates the necessity for the use of 'channels or their equivalents in either of the curling members.

Saidmem'ber I4 Y comprises l,the elongated rubf,

ber member 43 and a metallic` spring backing plate I4 which is :initially bent slightly into a. generally arcuate shape and permanently secured asv by suitable adhesive to the front wall 45 of said member '43.Y The initial curvature of the plate is'preferably less than that of themember I3, that is on a curve'of greater radius. vSince the manner of so securing rubber to metal Vis well known, no further description 'thereof is deemed necessary. It will -be noted that the top surface 46 of the rubber member 43 is bevelled or yin other -words,arranged at angles other than right angles tothe front wall 45 and the parallel back wallf41 ofthe member 43, :and that the bottom wall v4 8 is preferably atfright angles to the walls 45 and 41. Due to the inclination of the top wall, the eyelash vhairs are given an initial upward inclination` as Vthe curling lmembers are lbrought together and evenbefore any' pressure is applied thereto'. Consequentlyno sharp or abrupt bends or :crim'ps are formed'inth-e hairs and `no cutting or breaking thereof is possible.

'I'hek curling member I4 -is readily arranged on its 'support I3 by merely kplacing the bottom wall on''tlie'horizontalpart -42 with the end of said member including the ends of plate 44 in :the -re- 'spective grooves 4 IVVA and the 'rear wall V'41 iniconthe member I3 when the ends of the member I4 are inserted into the grooves 4I, the tendency of the plate and of the rubber member 43 to straighten out serves to maintain the entire member I4 in position on its support. However, the member I4 may be additionally held on its support if desired, by means of the integral lugs 49 extending downwardly from the plate and inserted into suitable spaced perforations 50 in the arm portion. Preferably, the rear wall 41 of the rubber member is of the same height as the member I3 and does not project thereabove when the member I4 is in place, but the plate 44 is higher to provide the bevelled surface 46.

As shown in Fig. 5, separate pins as 5I may be secured to the front 'face of the plate 44, as by rivets 52, said pins entering the spaced perforations 53.

When the edge 36 of the curling member I2 is forced down on to the top wall 46 of the rubber member, the eyelash hairs are curled, the time of curling being hastened on greater pressure applied by forcing said edge 36 into the rubber member to the desired extent. Such pressure merely distorts the rubber member, stretching the front upper part thereof and compressing the remainder. Should the member I4 become worn or cut, or should it otherwise deteriorate, it is easily lifted out of the grooves 4I, the lugs 49 or 5i being at the same time removed from the perforations 5I). A new member I4 is then readily inserted into Said grooves by unskilled persons, the plate 44 thereof being of material aid for that purpose because of its smoothness and because it slides easily along the metal surfaces of the walls of the grooves` The entire member I4 is easily handled in its pre-formed shape imparted thereto by the spring plate and can easily be bent into its nal form against the spring action of the plate, and maintained in that form by said plate after the plate has been inserted into the grooves 4I.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple curler well designed for the purposes for which it is intended and to meet the requirements of practical use.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention, I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto, since I intend to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an eyelash curler, a pair of divergng arms fixedly secured together at the adjacent ends thereof against any relative movement of said ends in any direction and each carrying an arcuate member at the other free end thereof, at least one of said arms being a flat spring and .normally arranged with its arcuate member in spaced relation to the arcuate member of the other arm, and means including a lever arranged on one side of one arm and reversible end for end and upside down for moving said members and arms toward each other.

2. In an eyelash curler, a pair of diverging arms each having a free end, means securing the other ends of said arms together, at least one of said arms being of bendable spring material, an arcuate curling member bent from the free end of one arm and extending therefro-m in one direction, an arcuate support bent and extending fromthe free end of the other arm in the other direction, a yieldable curling member carried by the support, and means carried by said arms for bending the bendable arm and thereby pressing said curling members together.

3. In Aan eyelash curler, apair of diverging arms, at least one of said arms being resilient and bendable, means securing corresponding ends of said arms together, and arcuate curling members at the other ends of said arms., saidA members being movable into operative relation on the bending of the bendable arm, and movable means revoluble into a locked inoperative position for relatively moving said arms and members.

4. In an eyelash curler, a yieldable curling member comprising a rubber member and a metallic arcuate plate permanently secured to a face of the rubber member and imparting an arcuate shape thereto, said member and plate being laterally deformable as a unit, and said member being yieldable transversely independently of the plate.

5. In an eyelash curler, a curling member preformed into an arcuate shape and comprising an elongated rubber member, and a thin resilient spring adhesively secured to a face of the rubber member and having an initial arcuate shape, said member and spring being bendable as a unit cut of said initial arcuate shape into an arcuate shape of different curvature.

6. In an eyelash curler, a yieldable curling member comprising a solid, imperforate strip of rubber of substantially rectangular cross-section and a spring having an initial arcuate shape secured to a face of the strip and substantially coextensive therewith, said spring imparting an arcuate shape to the strip, and said spring and strip being bendable as a unit.

'7. A yieldable curling unit for an eyelash curler comprising a pair of strips adhesively secured ytogether in face to face relation, one of said strips being of rubber and the other being a metal spring, said unit being bendable into an arcuate shape to fit an arcuate holding jaw and assuming its initial shape when removed from the jaw.

8. A yieldable curling member for an eyelash curler comprising a rubber strip having a bev-v elled operative surface and a backing spring adhesively secured to a faceA of the strip.

9. A yieldable curling member for an eyelash curler comprising a rubber strip having a bevelled operative surface and having a thin, resilient metallic spring secured to another surface of the rubber strip and bendable as a unit therewith against the action of the spring.

l0. A yieldable curling member for an eyelash curler comprising a rubber strip and a bendable spring secured to the strip, said spring having means to detachably hold the member to a support.

ll. A yieldable curling member for an eyelash curler including a platespring, holding lugs on the spring, and a solid rubber strip adhesively secured to a face of the spring.

12. In an eyelash curler, a sheet metal arm, a sheet metal spring extending longitudinally of the arm, means securing the end of the arm to the corresponding end of the spring, an arcuate member inturned from the other end of the arm and the spring, one of said membershaving the end portions thereof bent toward each other to form lugs laterally spaced from the remainder of the member, and a yieldable curling member including a spring havin'gits ends removably held by said lugs. l

13. In an eyelash curler, a pair ofv diverging arms each 'free at one endand, each secured at its other end to the other arm, a curling member at the free end of one arm, a support for a yieldable curling member at the free end of the other arm, said support vhaving a bent extension at each end thereof providing apair of spaced end grooves therein, and a yieldable resilient member removably carried by the suppo-rt, said resilient member `including a spring, the ends of the spring being removably inserted into said end grooves.

14. In an eyelash cur-ler, a pairof cooperating arcuate curling members, one of said members being rigid and .the other vcomprising a rigid arcuate support provided with spaced end grooves and a yieldable member extending between and having its ends removably inserted into said rgrooves, said yieldable member including a rubber strip backed by a metal spring secured to a face of the strip, means for pressing the curling members together including a pair of arms each carrying oneI of said members and at least one of the arms being a spring, a pin -extending transversely through the arms and an operating lever pivotally-mounted at an end of the pin and adjacent one arm in position to exert forces in opposite directions on the Apin and on the arm adjacent the lever respectively.

15. In an eyelash curler, a pair of diverging arms each free at one end and each secured at its other end to the other arm, at least one of the arms being resilient,ga curling member at the free end of each arm, and means for moving said arms toward each other and for pressing said members together comprising a headed pin having a shank passing through said arms and `terminating in a loop adjacent one oi" the arms, a lever having a cross bar pivotally mounted in said loop and havin-g a curved operating portion adapted to engage the arm ad- 'jacent the -loop on the pivotal movement of the 'lever about the cross bar whereby the pin and the other arm is pulled in one direction by the lever andsaid adjacent arm `is pressed in the other direction.

16. In an eyelash curler, a pair or arms each carrying a curling member at one end and secured to the other arm at the other end thereof, one of said arms having a cam projection thereon intermediate its ends, a pin passing through perforations in said arms and having means thereon for supporting a lever, and a lever pivoted to said means and having an operating portion movable into engagement with the cam progjection. v

17. In an eyelash curler, an elongated, Wide, thin arm spring of sheet metal terminating in an arcuate curling member, an elongated Wide, thin sheet metal arm terminating in an arcuate support for a curling member, rivets securing the V other end of each spring, and means for bendend of the arm remote from the curling member to the corresponding end of the arm spring in face to face relation, inwardly turned end lugs on the support, bottom lugs on the support, a removable curling member on the support comprising an elongated rubber strip backed by a thin sheet metal backing spring on a face thereof, Vsaid backing spring .and strip being bent out of their normal :shapes .to t said support and being removably held by said end and bottom lugs, and means for bending the arm spring to carry said ,iixed curling members of the arm spring against the strip, part of said strip yielding relatively to the backing spring during the curling operation.

18. In an eyelash curler, an elongated, wide, thin arm spring of sheet metal terminating in anv arcuate curling member, an elongated wide, thin sheet metal arm terminating in an arcuate support for a curling member, rivets securing the endof the arm remote from the curling member to the corresponding end of the arm spring in face to face relation, inwardly turned end lugs `on the-support, bottom lugs on the support, a lremovable curling member on the support comprising yan elongated rubber strip backed by a thin sheet metal backing spring on a face thereoi-said backing spring and strip being bent out of their normal shapes to iit said support and being removably held by said end and bottom lugs, and means for bending the arm spring to carry said fixed curling members of the arm spring against the strip, part of said strip yielding relatively to the backing spring during the curling operation, said bending means comprising a 4pin having a head engaging the outer face of the arm, a shank passing through an opening in the arm and through an opening in the arm spring and terminating in a loop, a lever having a cross bar passing through the loop and rotatable in a plane about the cross bar as a pivot and also rotatable about the axis of the pin with the pin asa unit to reverse the lever end for end and also to turn the lever upside down, and a -bent operating portion on the lever adjacent the arm spring.

19. An eyelash curler comprising a spring of comparatively wide and thin sheet metal terminating at its free end in an integral arcuate curling member, an arm of comparatively wide and thin sheet metal terminating at its free end in a .cooperating integral arcuate curling member andmeans ,permanentlyand relatively immovably securing vtogether, the other ends of the spring and the arm in face to face contacting relation.

20. A curling unit for an eyelash curler yieldable in the direction of its thickness and also yieldable in the direction of its Width comprising a thin and comparatively Wide metallic spring arcuately bent into partly cylindrical form and having a perdetermined normal radius of curvature, a rubber strip having one of its faces secured by adhesive to a wide face of the spring and held thereto solely by said adhesive, said spring imparting its curvature to the strip and said unit vbeing adapted to be bent out of its normal curvature and inserted into an arcuate holding jaw of different curvature in an eyelash curler.

21. An eyelash curler comprising a pair of flat springs having their corresponding ends flxedly secured in face to face relation at one end of the curler, an arcuate eyelash curling member at the ing said springs toward each other.

22. An eyelash curling unit for insertion and removal from an eyelash curler comprising a rubber strip and a spring adhesively secured together.

23; An eyelash curling unit for insertion and i removal from an eyelash curler comprising a rubber strip and a spring forming a backing for a -face of the strip land adhesively secured thereto.

HERMAN BERNSTEIN. 

